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A Hearty Bowl of Chili

Who doesn't love a hot and hearty bowl of chili? This one's spiced just right with the wonderful flavors of chili powder and ground cumin.

Hey, what's more satisfying and body-warming than a hearty bowl of chili? Not much, I say.

But when it comes to chili, I have a confession to make. For the looooooongggest time I made my chili with one of those store-bought little envelopes of chili seasoning.

Now, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that ... but once I discovered how easy it is to throw together my own chili seasoning, and how much more flavorful my own chili mix is ... well, there was no turning back.

I was introduced to this particular chili by my friend Kate back in my graduate school days in upstate New York (which is way longer ago than I'd care to admit). And I've been hooked on this recipe ever since. And it's forever known in our house as "Kate's Chili."

The result of this spicing blend is a really nice mix of cumin and chili powder that gives the chili medium-heat. It's spicy-with-a-hint-of-cumin-sweetness ... and I love that..

Now to quote my friend's Mom, who used to make this for us on bitter cold football-watching Albany, NY winter days, "You can't have too much garlic powder or too many onions in this!" But, as I've found out the hard way, it's best not to monkey with the other seasonings in this recipe ... other amounts just don't taste nearly as good as the original.

I guess some combinations are just meant to be left alone!

This chili is a staple in our household - we probably eat it about every-other-week. The only change I've made over the years is I now sometimes make it with ground turkey instead of ground beef. It's great either way.

Eaten as-is, as a condiment spooned over some hot dogs, or heaped with traditional chili toppings like sour cream, shredded cheddar, chopped onions, crumbled tortilla chips, or crushed Saltine crackers ... this is one hearty chili that's perfect for filling and satisfying bellies.

And, to my friend Kate ... if you're reading ... know that I think about you and your Mom every time I cook this. Love and miss you both!

Brown ground beef or turkey, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a large saucepan. (Note - when using ground turkey, I put a small splash of olive oil in the pan. Since ground turkey has so little fat, it may stick to the pan without the olive oil splash.)

Add remaining ingredients and simmer over medium-low to low heat for 1 hour.

Tracey!!!! It's so fun to see this recipe on your blog. I too make it with ground turkey most of the time. My kids like it without the beans served Cincinnati style over pasta. (Well...they THINK it's without the beans! I puree the beans and add them in for the extra protein. SHHHH!) Sometimes I throw in a can of corn too but there is nothing like the original!!! Miss you!!! - Kate

This is great chili, be sure and enter the recipe in the Chili Cookoff starting Oct. 1. Wish I had a bowl of this right now. Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back soon!Miz Helen

Here it is in the middle of July and tomorrow it will be around 90' - but we feel like CHILI! So we thought we would try a new recipe and this one looks great. We like cumin and have never added it to chili and since we need a little more of a mild one now... this will be so good I am sure.

I love your comments. I read and appreciate each and every one. Thank you so much for visiting The Kitchen is My Playground! {NOTE: Captcha word verification is on to turn away the 'spambots' ... I apologize for the commenting inconvenience.}

About Me

Hi! I'm Tracey, & I'm having fun with home cooking, one recipe at a time! A former businesswoman & 1st-grade teacher turned full-time food blogger & Mom, I love my latest career best. Join in the fun as I share tried-&-true recipes for the everyday home cook.